Barnes, Edward A., b. 1842.

Chicago writer of hymns, religious and romantic poetry, and temperance songs.

Edward Albert Barnes was born January 24, 1842. Little is known about his personal history beyond his own accounts of his songwriting process, his relationship with two younger sisters, Lillie and Della, and his religious beliefs. Barnes was a life-long Chicagoan and devoted his time to the Christian church and to the American temperance movement. His career as a published writer began in 1865 and ended in 1893. Songs such as "Are You Coming to the Light?" and "Tent and Mansion" were distributed widely in hymnals and church programs, while his temperance songs were included in music books that circulated in local and national church communities.

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